Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, has made a passionate plea to US President Donald Trump to intervene decisively against the Islamic Republic's clerical leadership. Speaking in a CBS News interview on Monday, Pahlavi urged action "sooner rather than later" to hasten the regime's collapse amid escalating nationwide protests.

These demonstrations, now in their third week, erupted last month following the collapse of Iran's currency. Protesters demand not mere reforms or economic relief, but the complete overthrow of the regime, marking what Pahlavi describes as a true revolution.

The human cost has been severe, with the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reporting over 500 deaths and more than 10,000 arrests. Pahlavi likened the situation to a war, acknowledging casualties but insisting that swift external intervention would minimise further loss of life.

Pahlavi, son of Iran's last shah ousted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has lived in exile for nearly five decades. He positions himself as a transitional "bridge" for the nation, citing chants of his name in protests as evidence of his legitimacy among Iranians, both at home and abroad.

He revealed ongoing contacts with the Trump administration, though details remain undisclosed. Pahlavi accused Tehran of feigning negotiations with Washington to quell the unrest and deceive the international community into inaction.

Trump, for his part, confirmed speaking with Iranian leaders on Saturday, noting they "called to negotiate." On Friday, he warned of hitting the regime "very hard where it hurts," explicitly ruling out boots on the ground but leaving airstrikes on the table.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced this stance on Monday, stating all options remain open. Trump had previously drawn a red line: US intervention if the regime resumed mass killings, a threshold Pahlavi claims has already been breached.

Pahlavi praised Trump's straightforwardness, contrasting him with predecessors who, he implied, lacked resolve. "He's a man that means what he says and says what he means," Pahlavi remarked, viewing the president's presence in office as a pivotal factor in the protests' momentum.

The crown prince dismissed Tehran's outreach as a ploy to buy time for repression. He argued that the regime must realise it can no longer suppress dissent without global repercussions, calling this the essential "game-changer."

When pressed on whether he seeks regime change, Pahlavi framed it as fulfilling the protesters' core demand: the regime's end. He expressed readiness to return to Iran and sacrifice his life, matching the fearlessness of those confronting security forces on the streets.

Questions persist over Pahlavi's domestic support base inside Iran. Nonetheless, he insists his offer of service responds directly to the people's call, representing expatriates while bridging to a post-regime future.

This unfolding crisis highlights Iran's deepening internal fractures, exacerbated by economic turmoil and long-simmering grievances against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's rule. Pahlavi's appeal places Trump at a crossroads, balancing diplomacy, threats of force, and the spectre of broader Middle East instability.

Based On ANI Report